These Little Wonders
by Lunamaria
Summary: It took Chiaki and the happiness by utter surprise. Nodame went about her day as usual.


_These Little Wonders_.

"I am the invincible Noda Megumi – call me Nodame – of team _Puri Gorota!_" That's what she told most people, anyhow. She was always odd like that, though.

After a few years studying abroad in Paris with Chiaki, the magic of piano's, composing, and music grew dim as Nodame began to notice her body chemistry taking a most puzzling shift. Nodame, being herself, did not let on to Chiaki her sudden change in health. But Chiaki, being himself, noticed instantly that the girl he had silently pledged himself to was changing physically.

She let it go, but he didn't. So, of course when the two were briefed by a French doctor that Nodame was a cancer victim, Nodame didn't care and Chiaki did. Nodame was set on living life and the little hours, while Chiaki, master conductor and violinist, was set on the obstacle that lay before them. He put life on hold for a long time.

For the next two years to follow, Nodame's condition slowly worsened; Nodame barely noticed. She drank in piano and American living, as the two had moved to an area on the North American continent that flaunted an exceptional cancer treatment center, while Chiaki stressed over his unspoken loves' dwindling life. Dreams, aspirations, Chiaki thought, had to be put on hold.

"We'll get by. It's the heart that matters in the end."Nodame, the naïve, but annoyingly wise pianist would tell him, to which he would reply: "Even if you have heart cancer?" Of course, he knew, she had meant it in a figurative way, but it didn't matter to him either way.

Nodame was dying. There was no one like her on earth and he was going to lose her forever.

Nodame would continue on telling Chiaki, despite her diagnosis, that "the twists and turns of fate don't matter. It's the heart" and that cancer did not stop her from watching _Puri Gorota _marathons, although they were seldom in North America, from playing her piano, and from living on.

So, on the eve of her last month life expectancy, when she was still vibrant and full of life, despite her weakness, Nodame led Chiaki to an empty concert hall. As she led him, there were no people seated in the audience seats and no orchestra. There was only one piano and one violin. She ran excitedly, although she almost fell, shouting "Gyabo, Senpai" ecstatically towards the piano focused under the spotlight.

She plopped down on the wooden piano seat and placed her fingers rhythmically over the piano keys. Sergei Rachmaninoff began slurring into the air, gliding into Chiaki's senses as he watched Nodame's long fingers speed unmethodically and crassly through the piece _Piano Concerto No.2_, intended for two pianos, that she had memorized. He listened on, thinking that Sergei would have loved to meet Nodame and her naïve concept of his _Piano Concerto No.2 _

Her sloppy playing eventually subsided into something that made him scowl. After he heard Nodame sing, "Boom! Boom! FART!" her ridiculous song weaved into the _Puri Gorota _theme song. His palm met his forehead as he let out a joyful chuckle – something he hadn't done in so long. He dragged his feet, laughing, to pick up the violin and join her in her tribute to _Puri Gorota. _

At that moment, Chiaki realized that their lives were made in those small hours. _We'll get by somehow_, Chiaki thought, as time began to fade. _Somehow, my regrets will wash away_. And they did. For the first time, Chiaki Shunichi let it go, and lived in the moment with Nodame, his little wonder.

- -- - -

Does Nodame live? I don't know. It's up to you, you could say. I watched "Meet the Robinsons" for the billionth time again, because absolutely love it, and the song that plays at the end "Little Wonders", by Rob Thomas is a song I love and decided I had to use it for a Nodame Cantabile fan fiction.

This is very short, even though it spans over a few years, and it may be rushed, but I just wanted to focus on the view Nodame has of life.This was originally for Bianca for her birthday fic, but I decided I'd give her something better and probably longer. So, in any case, this is my Nodame Cantabiledebut one-shot.

disclaimer; standard disclaimer applies.  
lyrics – little wonders © rob Thomas

¤ _composed by __lunamaria_.


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